I have a million things that I need to do right now, including writing, unpacking boxes, and balancing the checkbook. But I can’t help daydreaming about our new garden and what I want to fill it with. I’d really like to make the garden a place that is relaxing. Here are a few things I have my eye on (clockwise from top left):

1. Vintage Light String (Restoration Hardware, $179). Next to actually building the garden, my top priority is to dress up the patio. I want to string these fun lights overhead to add a little mood lighting to summertime dinners.

2. Large Glass Cloche (Target, $29). I collect glass cloches and use them both indoors and out.  I’m always looking to add to my collection and this cloche from Target is the right price. In spring I protect brassica seedlings, herbs, and basil from super chilly nights with cloches (I have some plastic ones, too).

3. Adirondack Chair (Manchester Wood, $229.95). I adore Adirondack chairs and would really love to place a pair of bright yellow ones under our tree. They would add such a nice bright, pop of color to the yard. At the moment, they are not in the budget, so I might build a couple chairs out of reclaimed palletsand paint them.

4. Dash and Albert Rug in Sprout and White (Lavender Fields, $34). Our cement patio has a nice weathered look to it, but it isn’t the most attractive patio surface on the planet. I think I might use this indoor/outdoor rug to cover up some of the patio and break up the big swath of grey.

5. Element by Fuego Grill (Sears, $649.00). Okay, admittedly, this grill is pricey, but dang, it looks good! Plus, since it is gas I’d probably actually use more than once a summer.

6. Soji Illume Solar Lights (Allsop Garden, $29.99). These 14-inch globe lanters look like they are made of paper, but their wire frames are actually wrapped in nylon. The lanterns are lit with white, solar-operated LED lights. I want to hang several at various heights in our tree.

I am going to focus on colorful vegetables, herbs, and flowers since our house and garage are painted grey green and most of the plants in the garden are dark green. Here are a few that caught my eye:

1. ‘Queen of the Night’ Sweet Peas (Renee’s Garden, $2.79). My very favorite sweet pea mix. Lusciously fragrant with a beautiful blend of flowers, including the navy blue ‘Lord Nelson’.

2. ‘Marketmore’ cucumber (Botanical Interests, $1.89). I want to grow trailing plants over the little retaining wall that separates the yard from the patio. ‘Marketmore’ always produces well for me and its pretty yellow flowers will provide a nice contrast to the concrete wall.

3. ‘Whirlybird Nasturtiums’ (Renee’s Garden, $2.79). These semi-double rose, yellow, peach, tangerine, mahogany, scarlet, and golden nasturtiums bloom all summer long (or until the aphids get them, anyways). I hope to edge the veggie bed with them, so they creep over the wall and steps!

4. ‘Red Acre’ Cabbage (Botanical Interests, $1.69). A row of these purple cabbages would look dramatic from my kitchen window, especially if they were covered with glass cloches!

5. ‘Trionfo Violetto’ (Botanical Interests, $2.39). I want to put my wrought iron obelisk right in the middle of the bed above the patio and plant it with peas in spring and these colorful pole beans in the summer.

6. ‘Scented Basil Trio’ (Renee’s Garden, $2.99). This trio of basils contains three of my favorite varieties: ‘Cinnamon’, ‘Red Rubin’, and ‘Mrs. Burn’s Lemon’. I might just plant up a whisky barrel with this mix and put it right next to the back stoop.

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